Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Video: Syrian Army Expels US-Backed Militants From Syrian Desert

South Front - US-backed militant groups, often referred to as the Free Syrian
Army (FSA), have declared the start of a counter-offensive against “the
regime and its foreign militias” in the area east of Suweida in
southeastern Syria.

The counter-offensive was dubbed operation “Desert Volcano”. Its
declared goal is to expel government forces from the Syrian desert.

Since last weekend, the Syrian Army and its allies have made notable
gains east of Suweida and along the Damascus-Baghdad highway. These
advances posed a direct threat to the US-led plan aimed at building a
buffer zone controlled by US-backed factions between Syria and Iraq.
Now, the US-led forces are going to use force against the Syrian
military in order to achieve their strategic goal.

Meanwhile, the US-led coalition’s aircraft have reportedly dropped
leaflets on the ISIS-held border town of al-Bakumal. The leaflets called
on locals to avoid moving near ISIS objects in the area. This event
could be linked with the coalition’s willingness to capture this border
town and expand its influence along the Syrian-Iraqi border. However,
this goal is complicated by the low number and quality of US-led
militant groups operating in the area.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA), Liwa al-Quds, the 5th Assault Corps, and
the National Defense Forces (NDF) have resumed their push against ISIS
east of the ancient city of Palmyra, aiming to take control over the
village of Arak and the nearby Arak gas field. Government troops have
advanced over 3 km northeast of Palmyra and entered a number of hills in
the area north of Arak. With this advance, government forces are going
to outflank ISIS units in the area of Arak and are going to set a fire
control over this area.

Pro-government forces, led by the Tiger Forces, continued their
advance on the ISIS-held town of Maskkanah in the province of Aleppo.
According to pro-government sources, 7 ISIS militants were killed and a
vehicle destroyed in the recent clashes.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have isolated further
the ISIS stronghold of Raqqah. SDF units have captured two main roads
east and west of Raqqah and have continued their advance aiming to reach
its vicinity from the northern and western directions. The only road
from Raqqah under the control of ISIS is the road to the south.

Summing up the recent developments, it becomes clear that in the
nearest future the main competition will take place in the Syrian border
area with Jordan and Iraq and in the countryside of Deir Ezzor. If the
US-led coalition is able to prevent the Syrian government from
re-establishing control in these areas, it will achieve a strategic
victory that will impact dramatically the situation in post-war Syria.